Page 12 - MEOG Week 43

MEOG
neWs in brief
MEOG
P o L i C y
Iran asks UN to participate
in investigation into Sabiti
attack
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic
of Iran to the UN sent a letter to Secretary- General António Guterres, asking UN experts to take part in the investigations about the recent attack on Iranian oil tanker Sabiti in the Red Sea.
Sabiti oil tanker was targeted by two missiles in the Red Sea about 60 miles (96 km) from Jeddah port on October 11.
Iran said in the letter that the attack was perpetrated by a state actor and considers it “an act of terrorism”
Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif had previously said that according to the obtained information, the attack was carried out by one or more governments but Iran will refrain from making any accusations for now as the investigation into the attack continues.
isna
C o m P a n i e s
Kuwait’s KIA says it has
not been approached by
Aramco for IPO
The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) has not been approached by Saudi oil giant Aramco for its initial public offering, KIA’s managing director, Farouk Bastaki, said on Tuesday.
“KIA has not been approached by Aramco or its advisers for the IPO, and KIA will
look at the IPO like any other investment,” Bastaki told reporters on the sidelines of an investment conference in Riyadh. reUters
o i L
Regional Clean Sea Organization hosts first international oil spill conference
At a regional meeting of oil companies
to discuss methods for environmental stewardship last week, Saudi Aramco shared some of its best practices in the prevention of oil spills, and methods of environmental preservation.
The First RECSO Enviro Spill Conference and Exhibition was hosted by the Regional Clean Sea Organization – a 13-member oil industry co-operative organization formed in 1972 with the objective of accomplishing a cleaner and safer environment.
In delivering the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Abdulhakim A. Al- Gouhi, vice president of Industrial Services with Saudi Aramco, called on members
to collaborate to protect the pristine Gulf environment through prevention, preparedness, and response.
“We come together to demonstrate our unlimited commitment toward protecting the marine environment from any harmful effects of pollution, in general, and of oil spills in particular,” said Al-Gouhi.
He noted that Saudi Aramco demonstrated its expertise in oil spill mitigation at the height of the Gulf War in 1991, when an estimated
8 to 11 million barrels of oil were released
in what is thought to be the largest oil spill
in human history, and established oil spill contingency plans, response teams, training programs, and oil spill drills that put Saudi Aramco at the forefront of the industry.
But even so, added Al-Gouhi, “the need
to pursue research and development in new technologies and more efficient oil spill combatting tools and equipment could not be emphasized more.”
Al-Gouhi additionally noted that a major element to test readiness is by conducting drills and exercises. One such exercise was successfully conducted at the south Red
Sea this year that involved all stakeholders, including government, military, and civil authorities, as well as specialized international oil response, tanker, and shipping companies. Response operations included offshore containment and recovery, shoreline cleanup, and aerial dispersant spray by Saudi Aramco.
The conference included 65 speakers,
and 30 exhibiting companies representing more than 20 countries. Workshops provided an opportunity for interactive discussions between presenters and delegates on key topics and new technologies for oil spill prevention, mitigation, and response.
Among the Saudi Aramco presentations was one by Andrew Regan, the Marine Department’s engineer, who delivered a presentation titled “Oil Spill – The Impact on the Sea Environment and Waste Management.”
Saudi Aramco’s global oil spill response director, Muhammad A. Saber, was a panelist on a leadership panel on “Regional Challenges in Oil Spill Response.”
Ibrahim A. Al-Hilal, regional oil spill coordinator with Saudi Aramco, served as the panel moderator for a leadership panel discussing “Oil Spill Management.”
Majed Al-Khalidi, senior pollution control coordinator, chaired a technical session on “Global Policies and Regulations in Oil Spill Response.”
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Week 43 29•October•2019